Legislative Issues

The Legislature sent Governor Ron DeSantis the final 26 bills for his consideration on September 4th. He signed all but two bills, vetoing HB 789, which would have charged a fee for placement or removal of a letter on the driver’s license of a person with a developmental disability; and SB 810, which would have raised the age to 21 to purchase tobacco products and added regulations on the tobacco industry, including a ban on flavored vaping products. In all, 201 bills were signed, of which 24 became law on October 1st. Some of these most recently signed bills do the following: 

  • HB 387 sets a $25 fee for specialty license plates, with a $50 fee for the University of Alabama, University of Georgia and Auburn University tags.
  • SB 680 expands a 2017 law that increased penalties for people who remove fins from sharks. The new law bans the import, export and sale of shark fins but includes exceptions for people who already had federal shark fishing permits as of January 1, 2020. The bill is known as the Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act.
  • HB 675 allows law enforcement officers to make warrantless arrests for indecent exposure.
  • HB 915 expands state oversight of 20 commercial service airports, including requiring audits every seven years at the Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa international airports.
  • SB 1286 makes a series of changes to laws prohibiting contraband at prisons and adds medical marijuana, hemp and industrial hemp to a list of prohibited contraband.

In a press conference with numerous Florida sheriffs on September 18th, Governor DeSantis proposed future legislation to prohibit violent assemblies and protect law enforcement in a reaction to some of the demonstrations happening across the nation in recent months. Violence or looting during protests might be considered third-degree felonies while blocking a highway, harassing people in public places or destroying public property, including monuments or statues, would be considered criminal acts. This legislation would reinforce current laws.